GMP+ certification of sites

11 October 2017

Both companies and certification bodies have asked to clarify the GMP+ requirements on the certification of sites. In this newsletter, we will try to answer these questions.

What is the prerequisite in respect of GMP+ certification of business sites?GMP+ A1, article 3.2 stipulates, as a prerequisite, that all private sites of a company where an activity takes place regarding feed (such as production, trade, transport and storage) must each individually be GMP+ FSA certified. This contributes to uniformity and transparency because of the associated registration in the GMP+ company database.

Wat is a private site?This is a site under management of the company. The site can be property of the company, but private sites also include rented buildings. It is not relevant whether activities take place year-round or only during a certain part of the year. All these sites are classified as private sites and must be certified for the activities that take place there.

Can I exclude a site?Yes, you can. To this end, please see 3.2 in GMP+ A1. A consequence of this is that the feed and / or services at this site are not GMP+ assured.

Must, for a certified site, all activities be placed under GMP+ certification?No, this is not necessary. It is possible to exclude part of the trade activities, transport activities and storage activities from certification. At a site where feed is produced, all production must be assured through GMP+ certification. Only the production of pet food can be excluded.

To this end, see article 3.2 in the GMP+ A1. In addition, chapter 4 of each of the GMP+ B standards, states clear rules for exclusion.

The feed safety management system must guarantee a proper separation between GMP+ assured feed and non-GMP+ assured feed.

So, how do I know whether feed falls under the GMP+ certificate?Feed and services assured through GMP+ certification must be designated as such. We call this ‘positive declaration’. The rules for the designation are listed in MP+ BA6.

Can a feed lose the ‘GMP+ assured’ status?Yes, it can if the GMP+ chain is interrupted. For example: a company produces feed at a GMP+ certified site, but stores it at a non-GMP+ certified site. The feed then loses its ‘GMP+ assured’ status. This also applies if a GMP+ assured feed is transported in a loading compartment that does not fall under the GMP+ certificate of the company.

The production of animal feed is a shared responsibility of the entire feed chain. Companies can display their safe, and responsible practice with GMP+ certification. Participating companies can access GMP+ International courses, numerous sources of information and tools.